Nolan has already started meeting with candidates and will submit his choice to the studio within the next few weeks. On the list: Unstoppable's Tony Scott, Let Me In director Matt Reeves, Battle: Los Angeles helmer Jonathan Liebesman (who just got the Warner Bros/Legendary job of directing Clash of the Titans 2), Duncan Jones, who just directed Source Code, and Sucker Punch helmer Zack Snyder.

The obvious choice among the candidates listed is Snyder, who has the most experience adapting comic book properties as the director of both 300 and Watchmen, which is also a DC Comics property. However, he is still working on Sucker Punch and has plans to direct Xerxes, the sequel to 300. Scott would also seem to be a logical choice given his strong action movie resume, but he is already on tap to produce and direct the live-action adaptation of Mark Millar's (Wanted, Kick-Ass) Nemesis comic book series. With Liebesman tied up with Clash 2, the list of candidates can be narrowed down to Reeves and Jones.

In order to avoid a lawsuit from the heirs of Superman creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, Warner Bros. must begin development of the new Superman movie by 2011 and release it by 2012. All rights to Superman will revert to the families in 2013. David S. Goyer, co-writer of both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, is currently working on the Superman script, which is based on an idea conceived of by Nolan.